No. 10 gaffe sparks North confusion

A SPOKESMAN for No. 10 Downing Street sparked confusion yesterday when he suggested that the issue of the North staying in the Customs Union was a matter ‘for the negotiations.’

The Tory government has been firm in its position that the UK – including the North – will leave the EU Customs Union and Single Market after Brexit.

But the off-the-cuff comment yesterday appeared to suggest that a separate solution could be found over the course of the negotiations.

However, within a matter of minutes, Downing Street was correcting the embarrassing blunder.

The same spokesman told the Irish Daily Mail: ‘I was speaking broadly about Northern Ireland and those issues in a general sense being a matter for the negotiations.

‘Our position hasn’t changed: the UK will still be leaving the Customs Union and the Single Market.’

The incident has prompted criticism, which has dogged the UK throughout Brexit talks, that they simply do not comprehend the challenges faced by the North.

Fianna Fáil’s Brexit spokesman Stephen Donnelly said: ‘No doubt, efforts have been made by British policy -makers and politicians to understand Northern Ireland and the complexities of the region. However, it’s pretty clear that the starting point for the British government was a pretty weak understanding of the complexities involved.

‘Fianna Fáil’s hope is that the British government will be open to a unique solution for Northern Ireland that might include a special status solution within the European Union.’